# Social Media Competitor Analysis: A Step-by-Step Guide

> Run a social media competitor analysis in 8 steps: pick rivals, collect public data, compare content and ads, then act on it. Free template included.

URL: https://pilotpost.social/blog/social-media-competitor-analysis
Published: 2026-10-18
Publisher: PilotPost (https://pilotpost.social)

A social media competitor analysis compares what similar brands do on social media, how their audiences respond, and where they leave gaps you can fill. You need a clear question, three to five competitors, a few hours with their public profiles and a consistent template. The eight steps below take you from choosing rivals to a short list of actions, with a comparison table you can copy.

## Key takeaways

- Start with a specific question, such as "Why do competitors get more comments?", not "What are they doing?".
- Analyse a mix of direct competitors, indirect competitors and one aspirational brand.
- From the outside you only see public numbers, so compare engagement per post and per follower, not reach.
- Ad libraries and creative centres show which messages competitors are paying to promote.
- The goal is to find gaps and ideas to adapt, not to copy someone else's content.

## Why bother with competitor analysis?

Your own data tells you what worked for you. Competitors show you what is working for the same audience that you have not tried yet, and what is not working so you can skip it. A good analysis answers practical questions:

- Which platforms are worth our time in this market?
- Which formats and topics get genuine conversation?
- How often do similar brands post, and does more always mean better?
- What do customers complain about or ask for in competitors' comments?
- Where is nobody doing a good job?

## Step 1: Define what you want to learn

Write one or two questions the analysis should answer. Examples:

- "Should we invest in short video on TikTok, or is our audience more active elsewhere?"
- "How do competitors present pricing and offers without sounding pushy?"
- "Why does Competitor A get three times as many comments per post as we do?"

A focused question keeps you from collecting data you will never use.

## Step 2: Choose three to five competitors

Mix three kinds:

1. **Direct competitors:** same product, same customers, same region.
2. **Indirect competitors:** different product solving the same problem, or the same product for a slightly different audience.
3. **Aspirational brand:** a business in a nearby category whose social media you admire. It does not need to be a rival; it is there for ideas.

To find candidates, search your main keywords on each platform, look at which accounts your followers also follow, and ask customers who else they considered. More than five usually means shallower analysis rather than better insight.

## Step 3: Map where each competitor is active

For each competitor, list every network they use, their handle, follower count and posting frequency over the last 30 days. Note which accounts are clearly active and which look abandoned.

This quickly shows where the market concentrates. If every competitor is busy on Instagram and absent from LinkedIn, you need to decide whether that is a gap or a sign the audience is not there.

## Step 4: Collect comparable public metrics

You cannot see a competitor's reach or views on most networks, so focus on what is visible to everyone: follower count, number of posts, and likes, comments and shares on each post. Gather the last 10 to 20 posts per competitor per platform and calculate:

- **Average engagements per post** = total visible engagements ÷ number of posts.
- **Engagement rate by followers** = average engagements per post ÷ followers × 100.
- **Posting frequency** = posts in the last 30 days.

Engagement by followers is the fairest comparison from the outside, but treat it as a rough signal: large accounts often show lower rates, and paid promotion can inflate numbers. For more on calculation methods, see our guide to the [engagement rate formula](/blog/engagement-rate-formula).

## Step 5: Analyse content themes, formats and voice

Numbers tell you who is doing well; content tells you why. For each competitor, tag their recent posts by:

- **Format:** single image, carousel, short video, long video, text, link, live.
- **Pillar:** education, product, behind the scenes, customer stories, entertainment, offers.
- **Hook:** how the first line or first second grabs attention.
- **Voice:** formal or casual, playful or serious, first person or brand voice.

Then look at their top three posts by engagement. Ask what those posts give the audience: a useful tip, a laugh, a strong opinion, a chance to share their own experience? That is the insight to borrow, not the post itself.

## Step 6: Read the comments

Comments are the most underused source in competitor analysis. Spend time on them and note:

- recurring questions the competitor never answers in their content;
- complaints about service, delivery, pricing or product gaps;
- how quickly and how well the brand responds;
- what people praise, in their own words.

Unanswered questions are content ideas for you. Repeated complaints are positioning opportunities, as long as you can genuinely do better.

## Step 7: Check what competitors are advertising

Paid posts reveal which messages a business believes are worth spending money on.

- **Meta:** since 2018, Meta has let [anyone see the ads a Page is currently running](https://about.fb.com/news/2018/06/qa-on-ads-and-pages-transparency/) across Facebook, Instagram and Messenger. Today this lives in Meta's Ad Library; search for the competitor's Page name.
- **TikTok:** the [TikTok Creative Centre](https://ads.tiktok.com/help/article/creative-center?lang=en-GB) is a free, public site with Top Ads examples and trending hashtags, and does not require a login to browse, although logging in unlocks more features.
- **Other networks:** some networks offer their own ad libraries; check their help centres for the current options in your region.

Note the offers, angles and calls to action that keep appearing. An ad that has been running for months is a strong hint that it works.

## Step 8: Summarise and turn findings into actions

Finish with a short SWOT-style summary for your own brand:

- **Strengths:** where you already outperform competitors.
- **Weaknesses:** where they clearly do better.
- **Opportunities:** gaps, unanswered questions, under-served platforms.
- **Threats:** competitors moving into your strongest channel or topic.

Then pick three actions for the next quarter. For example: "Test a weekly carousel answering a common customer question", "Reply to every comment within the working day", "Trial a second platform for eight weeks". Add the content actions to your [social media content calendar](/blog/social-media-content-calendar) so they actually happen.

## Competitor comparison template

Copy this table and fill in one column per brand, including your own so you can compare directly. Use the same date range for every brand.

| Criteria | Your brand | Competitor A | Competitor B | Competitor C |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active platforms | | | | |
| Main platform (most activity) | | | | |
| Followers on main platform | | | | |
| Posts in last 30 days | | | | |
| Average engagements per post | | | | |
| Engagement rate by followers (%) | | | | |
| Most-used format | | | | |
| Best-performing format | | | | |
| Main content pillars | | | | |
| Tone of voice (three words) | | | | |
| Typical response to comments | | | | |
| Recurring audience questions | | | | |
| Recurring complaints | | | | |
| Running ads? Main message | | | | |
| What they do well | | | | |
| Gap or opportunity for us | | | | |

Keep a dated copy each time you repeat the analysis. Comparing two snapshots six months apart often reveals more than either one alone.

## How often to repeat the analysis

A full competitor analysis once or twice a year is enough for most small businesses, with a light monthly check of your top two competitors. Combine it with a review of your own accounts in a [social media audit](/blog/social-media-audit) so both views feed into the same plan.

Once you know what you want to change, consistency does the rest. PilotPost lets you schedule those posts across your networks from one calendar, so new ideas from the analysis do not get lost in a busy week. If that sounds useful, you can [get started here](/signup).

## FAQ

### What is a social media competitor analysis?

It is a structured comparison of how similar brands use social media: which platforms they are on, what they post, how often, how their audience responds and what they advertise. The aim is to find opportunities and avoid mistakes, not to copy their content.

### How many competitors should I analyse?

Three to five is a practical range. Include direct competitors, at least one indirect competitor and, optionally, an aspirational brand from a nearby market. More than that tends to make the analysis broad but shallow.

### How can I see a competitor's engagement rate?

You cannot see their reach, so calculate engagement rate by followers: add the visible likes, comments and shares on recent posts, divide by the number of posts, then divide by follower count and multiply by 100. It is an approximation, but it lets you compare brands consistently.

### Can I see what ads my competitors are running?

Often, yes. Meta lets anyone view the ads a Page is currently running through its Ad Library, and TikTok's Creative Centre showcases high-performing ads. Availability and detail vary by network and region, so check each platform's help centre.

### How often should I do a social media competitor analysis?

Once or twice a year for a full analysis, with lighter monthly check-ins on your closest competitors. Repeat it sooner if a new competitor enters your market or your own results change sharply.